Meriden, CT Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Meriden's zoning code treats retaining walls as an extension of its fill and grading rules in Section 213-50, Extraction and excavation regulation. Under Subsection B(1), any slope created by adding fill cannot be steeper than a one-foot rise for every two feet of horizontal run, capped at a 10-foot total rise, unless the City Engineer approves a steeper cut stabilized by a retaining wall or cribbing. The moment that wall exceeds 36 inches in height, or is built to hold back a surcharge such as a driveway or parking area above it, the code reclassifies it as a structure.

A structure of that kind cannot be built within 10 feet of any property line unless it appears on a plan the Planning Commission has approved, the same commission that reviews fill and excavation plans elsewhere in Section 213-50. The code notes such walls are meant for steep slope cuts rather than fills, so a homeowner terracing a sloped backyard with a tall wall should expect Planning Commission review rather than a routine building permit alone. Because a retaining wall this size is reclassified as a structure, it falls under Chapter 213's general zoning enforcement rather than the building code alone, and skipping the Planning Commission's plan approval is treated the same as any other zoning violation.

Section 213-71 gives the Zoning Enforcement Officer authority to cite that violation at up to $150 per day for as long as the noncompliant wall stands, with each day counted as a separate offense.